Clinton goes on Trump-style phone spree to defend emails

Hillary Clinton pulled a Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon, phoning into multiple networks as her campaign sought to minimize the blowback from its decision not to cooperate with a State Department inspector general investigation.

Following Wednesday’s leak of the report, which concluded that she violated agency rules by using a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state, Clinton’s campaign contended that it wasn’t hiding anything by refusing to cooperate but rather chose to prioritize an ongoing FBI investigation.

Story Continued Below

The candidate herself took to the airwaves beginning Wednesday night during an interview with Univision’s Los Angeles affiliate, in which Clinton expressed confidence that the use of her private server would not be an issue “that is going to affect either the campaign or my presidency.”

“Well, there may be reports that come out, but nothing has changed,” she said. “It's the same story.”

Clinton added that she acted no differently from her predecessors in using a personal email account. However, no other secretary of state had a private server arrangement parallel to the one set up for Clinton during her four years in the job.

“Many people [used private email]. It was not at all unprecedented. I have turned over all of my emails. No one else can say that,” she said. "I have been incredibly open about doing that. I will continue to be open, and it's not an issue that is going to affect either the campaign or my presidency.”

By Thursday afternoon, Clinton had accepted interviews with ABC News, MSNBC and CNN, where she not only brushed off the report’s findings but also went on the offensive against Trump, even seizing on a remark President Barack Obama made in Japan.

“President Obama came out of meetings with our closest allies in the world and reported that they are ‘rattled’ by the threat Donald Trump represents. Of course they’re rattled,” Clinton told CNN. “He’s talking about breaking up our alliances, letting more countries get nuclear weapon, banning all Muslims from coming to America. That is a recipe for fewer friends and more enemies, and it will make us less safe.”

Clinton reiterated to ABC News that, in retrospect, what she did with her email set-up at State was a mistake and she would do things differently if she could. She added that she understands people may have concerns but downplayed any impact her private server may have in November.

“I think voters are going to be looking at the full picture of what I have to offer, my life and my service. And the full threat that Donald Trump offers our country,” Clinton told ABC News. “And I have confidence that they’re gonna be making the right decision.”

The former secretary of state has long maintained that she complied with agency rules, claims that the State IG report could not corroborate. Clinton did not cooperate with the IG's investigation, but she has said she is willing to be interviewed by the FBI, which is conducting its own probe into security risks posed by the unusual email setup.

Clinton, while apparently feeling the need to try to end the latest stream of headlines about her email server, was more eager to talk about Trump, who on Thursday clinched the requisite number of delegates to win the Republican nomination, by The Associated Press' count. “That means an unqualified loose cannon is within reach of the most powerful job in the world,” warned Clinton.